The Devil's Playground (DVD)

This amazing documentary follows adventurer George Vanderbilt III around the globe as he stalks and hunts exotic denizens of the deep. He spears an immense Devil Fish, a hideous monster with winglike flippers that span 22 feet. He engages in a terrifying battle with the highly prized sailfish, a magnificent creature that pushes George to the brink of exhaustion. His exploits culminate with shark hunting and pursuing a whale in a rowboat armed with only a harpoon, all captured in footage that must be seen to be believed.

George Vanderbilt III, a direct descendant of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, was a sportsman, who combined his love of yachting and nature to make a huge contribution to the scientific community. On just one of his expeditions to Sumatra in 1937, he was able to document studies of over 10,000 species of fish. Mysteriously, he ended his life by leaping from the 10th story of a hotel in 1961. One of his yachts, The Pioneer, was rechristened The Yankee Clipper, and is still in service with a Caribbean cruise line.

Bonus: "Gabby Goes Fishing" and "Jolly Fish."

• documentary